Events & Meetings

Historic Walking Tour

Tom Paterson to Lead 2009 "Black Track" Tours

Tom Paterson, well-known historian, newspaper columnist and raconteur will lead two of his very popular "Black Track" walking tours in 2009, exploring area mining sites and former rail lines. "Black Track" refers to those South Wellington area railway lines informally used by miners and residents as a "public thoroughfare" or walking track. Coal dust so thickly coated the lines that they became known locally as the "Black Track."

Tom's spring 2009 tour will be held on Saturday, May 23 . No date has yet been set for his fall tour. Tickets will again be $30.00 for one person, $25.00 each for two or more in a party. These historic walking tours have become much anticipated events with tickets selling out a few days after their tour date has been announced. Please e-mail cchristo@shaw.ca or phone 250-714-0377 if you are interested in reserving for Tom's Spring "Black Track" tour or if you would like additional information.

The tour will assemble at 10:00 a.m. at Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park in front of the headframe. Each participant is asked to bring water or juice, a packed lunch/snacks sufficient to sustain them for the length of the tour, typically ranging between five and six hours. Hats, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, and clothing to protect from possible brambles or wayward branches are also recommended. Transportation will be pooled to drive participants to various mine sites, but participants are asked to provide their own to and from the park. Participants are reminded that to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all tour members, they should refrain from wandering off by themselves or engage in conversations that impede the ability of others to hear the commentary.

Proceeds of ticket sales will again go to support Friends of the Morden Mine Society in their endeavour to bring about the preservation of Morden Colliery. Its splendid but rapidly deteriorating 1913 headframe and tipple, innovative at the time in their use of reinforced concrete, are the only such remaining above-ground structures on Vancouver Island, in North America, in fact. Tom, as usual, will be donating his time and his fund of historical mining stories.

Click here to view descriptions of two previous tours.

Report on Annual General Meeting, Thursday, October 16, 2008, 7:00 p.m., Cedar Heritage Centre

John Hofman, Vice-President, provided an overview of society initiatives in 2008. These included requests for BC Parks , RDN and Friends of Morden Mine funding for a site study of Morden Historic Provincial Park and options for its development and preservation. As of October 16, , funds had been committed by BC Parks and Friends of Morden Mine.

Research into other possible grants continues, an urgent situation because of the serious state of Morden structures’ deterioration. An application for a Coastal Community Credit Union grant was submitted at the end of September, and the possibility of involving Vancouver Island University Geography students in a GIS mapping project of Morden site was explored. To date, there has been no confirmation of either proposal, although the VIU Geography instructor accepted the idea as a good one and offered it as an option tp students.

Measures to increase outreach to other community associations and individuals were considered or adopted, including increasing the number of reciprocal links on the website; enhancing its historical information; reducing member fees; exchanging or purchasing memberships with selected historical and other societies; participating in more community events including Lantzville Coaltown Music Festival, Nanaimo, Duncan and District Labour Day Festival, South Wellington Day; changing the meeting place to a more central location, sponsoring a stage play with a historical theme; promoting tours of the site by schools and visitors; selling cards, magnets and pins.

Tom Paterson’s “Black Track” tours remain one of the most successful outreach measures. This year Tom generously donated his time and historical knowledge on two tours: one in the spring and one in the fall. Revenue from the always sold-out tours goes to Morden’s preservation fund. Tracks Outdoor Adventures instituted two bus tours of cruise ship visitors in the fall, FOMM participated in South Wellington Elementary School’s History Week by providing tours for attending children, and a Victoria school class visited.

This year, instead of a guest speaker, there was an “Open Forum.” Issues brought up by members included the RDN’s Active Transportation Plan, its Regional Growth Strategy and Official Community Plan, the need to make Morden Mine site an interpretative centre for all historic coal mining on Vancouver Island, and the desirability of a bridge link across the Nanaimo River where the old PCCM railroad bridge formerly was constructed.

David Gogo, well-known blues guitarist and heritage enthusiast, was elected president, replacing Judy Burgess, Friends of Morden Mine President between its inception in 2003 until her August 2008 retirement. In recognition of her work and dedication to the society, an honourary life membership was presented to Judy in absentia. Incumbent directors, John Hofman, vice-president, Ingrid Greenwell, Treasurer, Rick Morgan, recording secretary, Charlie Christopherson, corresponding secretary, Eric Ricker , director-at-large were confirmed. Beverley Eert also agreed to join as a director-at large a few days later. More directors are always welcome!

For a summary of the 2007 AGM activate this link.

Directors' Meetings

2009 directors’ meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at a new location: the recently opened Country Grocer store, 82 Twelfth Street, Southgate Shopping Centre (also known as South Parkway Plaza) Nanaimo, B.C. Both members and non-members are welcome. If there are any changes to scheduled meetings, notice will be posted on our website. Please note that our January 7, 2009 meeting has been cancelled. Our next meeting will be held on February 4, 2009.

To access from the south on #1, the Island Highway, drive a few hundred feet beyond the junction of #19, Nanaimo Parkway, and Cedar Road, turn left on Tenth Street, left again on Lawlor Road, left once again into Country Grocer's parking lot. From the north, again driving on #1, look for Tenth Street turnoff on your right, the road between the Food Country mall on the north and Buckerfields and associated plaza stores on the left.

The meeting room is on the second floor. The stairs leading to the second floor are immediately to the right of the Country Grocer coffee shop, if one enters from that entrance. The door is unmarked. Turn right after going up the stairs and the meeting room is a couple of feet away.

Fundraising and Other Events

Since 2003, when Friends of Morden Mine became a society, several Miners' Picnics have been held at the Morden site.

In 2006, two very successful fundraising events were held: a Beer and Burger Night at the historic Wheatsheaf Inn in Cedar, and a benefit concert by award-winning blues musician David Gogo.

David's family has deep roots in the local coal mining community. His great grandfather was killed when a local coal mine suddenly flooded in 1915. He has written a song to commemorate that terrible tragedy called, "She's Breakin' Through. " When he perfomed it at his 2006 benefit, the audience was moved to tears. "She's Breakin' Through," nominated for a Juno award in 2007. is on David Gogo's cd "Acoustic."